1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ribbon element for controlling the pitch of an electronic synthesizer of the like.
2. The Prior Art
It has become conventional in some applications of electronic synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments to permit the pitch or timbre of a sound to be determined by the operator or player of such instrument by depressing an elongate conductive member into contact with another conductive member. The place at which contact is established determines the magnitude of the quantity, much as the pitch of a stringed instrument is determined by the location at which the string is depressed.
Typically, a conductive ribbon is supported in generally parallel fashion relative to an elongated conductive wire supported on the surface of a base member. The wire is a resistance element, and the resistance included within a closed electrical circuit is dependent upon the position of the ribbon which is in electrical contact with the wire. Although this arrangement has proven eminently satisfactory for permitting a player to determine easily and quickly any pitch he desires during the playing of the instrument, the stress on the resistance wire which results from continuous and/or repeated playing of the instrument on manipulating the ribbon element has proven to be quite destructive, and the unit must be repaired to replace the resistance wire on a relatively frequent basis. There is therefore a need for a different design of pitch determining element in which the problem of repeated and frequent breakage of the wire is averted.